


Seaworthy

by Nebulad



Series: Stargazers [3]
Category: Pyre (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M, Other, nb character, post-pyreheart spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 19:46:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11675841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nebulad/pseuds/Nebulad
Summary: The sea is less fond of Hedwyn than the Reader is.





	Seaworthy

The rocking of the boat was bizarrely soothing, and when matched with Rhae’s quiet singing as she bound together some sticks for a myriad of mysterious reasons, the Reader was nearly asleep. They sat with the moon-touched girl on top of the wagon, and _so_ relaxing was it that even Sir Gilman’s triumphants grunts and thumping as he sparred with Rukey weren’t enough to rouse them. They followed the stars as ever, but with the dampness of the air their leg began to ache. They didn’t have much they could physically do to aid the journey until that was sorted, so… they napped.

“Where is the Reader?” they heard Jodariel ask Rhae.

“Beside me. I think they’re having a nap? Yes, I think?” They felt Rhae peer over them carefully, but didn’t move. Questions about what the stars said, what the books said… they grew tiring. They didn’t know what precisely Jodi wanted, but _they_ wanted to sleep in peace for a little while to forget the salt-sewn aching of their wooden limb.

“Wake them. I need them to check on Hedwyn.” They frowned, keeping their eyes shut.

Rhae shambled to her feet, all skinny limbs and twigs. “Oh is he okay? I hope he’s okay, because he’s very kind.”

“We’ll see,” she returned cryptically, and disappeared back into the wagon.

Rhae crouched down, tugging gently at the fastening of the cloak they still borrowed from Jodi. “If you wanted to stop pretending to be asleep— I think you are pretending, since you started frowning when she said that about Hedwyn? If not then you should wake up anyway to go check on him.”

The Reader rose, nodding and pressing their palms against their tired eyes. The trip back down the water-slick wagon was a bit more perilous than it’d been to get up, but from below Sir Gilman swore to catch them should they fall. Sufficiently comforted, their worn and dirt smudged boots hit the deck with the hollow _thunk_ and they pushed their way into the common area.

Hedwyn was laying on his face in the middle of the floor. “How’s he doing?” Rukey asked from his precarious perch on some unsteady boxes.

“He spent the evening sick over the edge of the boat,” Tariq reported solemnly. “Reader, I don’t think he’ll be in any condition to participate in your next Rite.” The group would face the Essence, then, without his aid; a thought that troubled the Reader. Hedwyn was the one they were the most confident directing— he trusted them genuinely and without reservation, which made moving him easier; still, they would make do.

They took a moment to get down on level with him, folding their flesh leg towards him and motioning for him to lay his head on them rather than the hard wooden floor. He went gratefully, babbling nauseously as he went. “Oh… hello my friend. The sea doesn’t agree with me, I guess.” They made an appropriately sympathetic expression, pushing his hair back off of his sweaty face. “It’s funny though, isn’t… isn’t it? All this trouble… to get back to the Commonwealth of all places.”

They didn’t mention that _he_ was the one having the most trouble so far, but nodded at the assembled that they were okay to leave the two of them alone. No doubt their companions hoped they could somehow divine the problem from his head— all but Tariq, who was trying to be polite. They doubted it was possible, but resolved to try if he asked. “Hey…” He groaned a little, trying to move so he could face them. They gently motioned for him to stay where he was.

“Hello.”

“Tell me something. What do you—” he paused, and took a few gulping breaths. “What do you miss most about that place?” They thought for a moment, trying to keep him a bit steady over the rocking. It was mild now, but no doubt it would get worse before they rolled ashore.

“My books,” they decided. “Keeping a library was asking to be reported, but I had a few stashed around the place I was staying.” They couldn’t quite recall where that was, but it didn’t matter now.

For some reason the sentiment made him smile. “I figured as much,” he said against their thigh. “I bet they burned all your books, didn’t they? Those scum.” If they had, the Reader hadn’t been in the Commonwealth to witness it. Usually they let the criminal see the consequences of their crimes before tossing them like refuse down the river, but literacy was so heinous that they’d barely stood on ceremony before enacting their judgement.

The thought of their stolen treasures shrivelling into cinders made them sad, but his vehement condemnation of the act was sweet.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he offered, very slowly bringing himself to stare up at the ceiling. “I think I’ll be okay, if you were doing something.” Evidently he didn’t think they could perform any particular magic to root seasickness out of his head, which was good because they couldn’t. The thoughts and prayers of those around them flickered like candlelight in the wind— in and out and in no particular pattern.

“I wasn’t,” they assured him.

He grinned uncomfortably. “I’m probably going to be sick again soon,” he admitted.

“I can wait with you until the Rites, if you wanted. I don’t mind if you get up every few minutes.” They themself couldn’t follow him— the dampness, again, making it hard to get up and down in any sort of vomit timeframe. Still, he relaxed and let his eyes slip shut, curling up a little more comfortably.

“You’re too good, my friend,” he muttered as they slipped their fingers through his hair. Suddenly, him sitting out the Rites again seemed like more of a relief than a cause for concern; as funny as the image of him puking on their adversaries was.

They shifted their wooden leg, and let him rest.

**Author's Note:**

> [My writing blog is here](http://nebulaad.tumblr.com) and on it is [commissions information](http://nebulaad.tumblr.com/post/162182264019/writing-commissions). Also this is the last one that I wrote over my weekend off, so they might come slower after this one. Still putting along though !!
> 
> Hedwyn getting seasick was the cutest shit like _fuck_.


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